Pin rack hose, a.k.a. high-rise hose or cabinet fire hose, is the emergency fire hose found in hallways of office buildings, apartment buildings, condo buildings, hotels, ships, ferries, and more. It is typically a polyester single jacket fire hose specifically designed for interior firefighting use. Occupants or staff on site can have quick access to the hose to put out small fires before they become larger, fully-involved fires.

Testing and Requirements

Pin Rack hose is mandated to be in place by local fire safety ordinances. We receive calls often with questions about inspection, testing, or replacement requirements. Unfortunately, these vary widely by location. Some examples can include service testing requirements and/or replacement after 5-10 year intervals. It is best to contact your local fire inspection office for details.

Hoses are dated for easy compliance with hose expiration dates. This is why the hose is typically not returnable. Vendors prefer to buy new hose with the most recent possible date. Pin Rack hose is FM approved and manufactured to NFPA 1961 standards.

Materials and Lining

It can sometimes be less expensive to replace a hose instead of having each hose tested.  Pin Rack hose is lightweight, single jacket hose that is intended for single-use only. The jacket and liners are thin, allowing the hose to fold easily onto the pin rack, and are manufactured with either polyurethane or rubber liner.

Rack hose sold by FireHoseDirect comes pre-folded for easy installation. It is easy to replace, and can be done usually by building maintence.

Common Sizes and Lengths

Common lengths are 50 ft., 75 ft., and 100 ft. Hose cabinet locations are designed to reach certain areas of the building, and the number of pins in the rack needs to match the number of folds per hose. Couplings are typically brass. When ordering Pin Rack hose, you will need to match the hose diameter to the rack as well. Thread type is usually NH / NST, but please check the fittings on your current hose before ordering, or, ask your local fire department.

New York City (NYC) Thread

New York City uses two 1 1/2" x 50 ft. hoses, as well as an additional 1 1/2" x 25 ft. hose in each hose rack. New York City also uses its own FDNY thread for rack hose, typically with brass couplings.

  

Note: Some jurisdictions have decided they do not want people staying in the building to fight a fire (of any size). These municipalities have decided to eliminate Pin Rack and Reel hose altogether. Please check with your local city ordinances or the local fire inspectors office. If you see a hose cabinet that is capped off at the supply valve, it may be that rack hose in no longer required in your area.

FireHoseDirect offers rack hoses individually as well as complete rack hose assembly kits in the Rack Hose & Accessories subcategory under the main Hose Products category.